In 1985, McClarnon graduated from Omaha Central High School. He credits his drama teacher, Peggy Stommes, as a big influence.[4][7]
Career
McClarnon got his start in a local production of Jesus Christ Superstar at the Chanticleer Theater in Council Bluffs, Iowa. He connected with John Jackson, a local Omaha casting director who later became known for his work with director Alexander Payne. McClarnon gained some local work and in the early 1990s, he moved to Los Angeles for his career.[4][8]
In the Into the West (2005) miniseries for TNT, McClarnon played Running Fox. He starred in the 2009 film Not Forgotten and comedy film Repo Chick. In 2013, he was in the horror movie Resolution. He had a recurring role as Bodaway Macawi in Ringer. He played Mike Parker in the first four episodes of the SundanceTV series The Red Road.[9]
From 2012 to 2017, McClarnon portrayed Mathias, the Chief of Indian Tribal Police of the Cheyenne reservation, in Longmire, originally an A&E and later a Netflix television series.[10]
McClarnon portrayed Hanzee Dent in the second season of the TV series Fargo, where his performance received critical acclaim.[5][11][12][13] He appeared in the TV series Timeless as Native American U.S. Marshal Grant Johnson in the episode "The Murder of Jesse James". McClarnon appeared as Toshaway in AMC Network's The Son,[4][14] for which he learned the Comanche language.[15]
McClarnon appeared as Akecheta, the leader of the Ghost Nation, in HBO's Westworld. Although usually credited as a recurring character, McClarnon was credited as a main cast member in "Kiksuya", the eighth episode of the second season, which focuses on his character's backstory. His performance in the episode received critical acclaim, with the critic's consensus on the review aggregate website Rotten Tomatoes stating that McClarnon delivered a "heart-wrenching, formidable performance" that elevates the episode to "one of the best of the entire series".[16]
In 2019, McClarnon appeared as Crow Daddy, a central antagonist, in the film Doctor Sleep.[17] Since 2021, McClarnon has portrayed Officer Big in the comedy-drama Reservation Dogs.[18]
In 2021, it was announced that McClarnon would star as Joe Leaphorn in Dark Winds, a psychological thriller television series on AMC. It premiered on 12 June 2022 and was renewed for a second season.[19][1]
Personal life
McClarnon's first name is in honor of his maternal great-great-uncle,[citation needed] Frank "Francis" B. Zahn, who was an artist and Lakota elder of Standing Rock Indian Reservation.[20] McClarnon's middle name, Tokiya-ku, loosely translates to mean "first one to come." He was given that name by his mother because he was the first delivered in a set of twins.[2]
In late 2017, McClarnon fell at his home and suffered a brain injury, requiring hospitalization. The accident caused a brief shutdown of production for Westworld.[21] He has since recovered.
McClarnon has discussed his struggles with substance abuse in interviews.
